Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Research

Hematologists at Mayo Clinic have an extensive research program dedicated to understanding chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the hope of improving treatments. The Chronic Lymphoproliferative Disorders Group at Mayo Clinic includes basic scientists and hematologists attempting to improve the outlook for patients who have leukemia by investigating the disease's biology, identifying risk factors, developing new drugs, detecting familial traits, and studying the disease's epidemiology. Active research programs in clinical trials, immunology, CLL biology, genetics, epidemiology, and familial CLL are ongoing. Mayo Clinic is a member of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Consortium, the North Central Cancer Treatment Group and the Phase 2 Consortium.

Mayo Clinic CLL researchers are actively involved in clinical trials testing the effectiveness of new drugs or monoclonal antibody combinations to treat CLL. These trials are targeted at all stages of the disease from recently diagnosed to recurrent/refractory cases. The list of available clinical trials constantly changes.

Significant laboratory efforts are ongoing in the areas of angiogenesis, monoclonal antibodies, drug sensitivity testing, proteomics, genetics and immunology, to name just a few. Many of these incorporate collaborations with other national and international researchers in CLL.

An extensive system of clinical, research and laboratory databases at Mayo Clinic allows the performance of patient centered research by merging the results from these areas. Mayo is also playing a leading role in the area of molecular epidemiology and familial (genetic epidemiology) investigations into the cause of CLL.

Recent Mayo Publications

Shanafelt TD, Lin T, Geyer SM, Zent CS, Leung N, Kabat B, Bowen D, Grever MR, Byrd JC, Kay NE. Pentostatin, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab regimen in older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer. 2007 Jun 1;109(11):2291-8. [Abstract]

Nowakowski GS, Hoyer JD, Shanafelt TD, Geyer SM, LaPlant BR, Call TG, Jelinek DF, Zent CS, Kay NE. Using smudge cells on routine blood smears to predict clinical outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a universally available prognostic test. Mayo Clin Proc. 2007 Apr;82(4):449-53. [Abstract]

Zent CS, Call TG, Hogan WJ, Shanafelt TD, Kay NE. Update on risk-stratified management for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 2006 Sep;47(9):1738-46. Review. [Abstract]

Shanafelt TD, Witzig TE, Fink SR, Jenkins RB, Paternoster SF, Smoley SA, Stockero KJ, Nast DM, Flynn HC, Tschumper RC, Geyer S, Zent CS, Call TG, Jelinek DF, Kay NE, Dewald GW. Prospective evaluation of clonal evolution during long-term follow-up of patients with untreated early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Oct 1;24(28):4634-41. [Abstract]

Kay NE, Geyer SM, Call TG, Shanafelt TD, Zent CS, Jelinek DF, Tschumper R, Bone ND, Dewald GW, Lin TS, Heerema NA, Smith L, Grever MR, Byrd JC. Combination chemoimmunotherapy with pentostatin, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab shows significant clinical activity with low accompanying toxicity in previously untreated B chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2007 Jan 15;109(2):405-11. Epub 2006 Sep 28. [Abstract]

Shanafelt TD, Byrd JC, Call TG, Zent CS, Kay NE. Narrative review: initial management of newly diagnosed, early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Sep 19;145(6):435-47. Review. [Abstract]

Shanafelt TD, Jelinek D, Tschumper R, Schwager S, Nowakowski G, DeWald GW, Kay NE. Cytogenetic abnormalities can change during the course of the disease process in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jul 1;24(19):3218-9; author reply 3219-20. [No abstract available].

Shanafelt TD, Kay NE. The clinical and biologic importance of neovascularization and angiogenic signaling pathways in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Semin Oncol. 2006 Apr;33(2):174-85. Review. [Abstract]

Novak AJ, Grote DM, Ziesmer SC, Kline MP, Manske MK, Slager S, Witzig TE, Shanafelt T, Call TG, Kay NE, Jelinek DF, Cerhan JR, Gross JA, Harder B, Dillon SR, Ansell SM. Elevated serum B-lymphocyte stimulator levels in patients with familial lymphoproliferative disorders. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Feb 20;24(6):983-7. Epub 2006 Jan 23. [Abstract]

Shanafelt TD, Lee YK, Call TG, Nowakowski GS, Dingli D, Zent CS, Kay NE. Clinical effects of oral green tea extracts in four patients with low grade B-cell malignancies. Leuk Res. 2006 Jun;30(6):707-12. Epub 2005 Dec 1. [Abstract]

Nowakowski GS, Dewald GW, Hoyer JD, Paternoster SF, Stockero KJ, Fink SR, Smoley SA, Remstein ED, Phyliky RL, Call TG, Shanafelt TD, Kay NE, Zent CS. Related Articles, Substance via MeSH, LinkOut Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization with an IGH probe is important in the evaluation of patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Br J Haematol. 2005 Jul;130(1):36-42. [Abstract]

Shanafelt TD, Call TG. Current approach to diagnosis and management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Mayo Clin Proc. 2004 Mar;79(3):388-98. Review. [Abstract]